Other side - Poem by Ivan Donn Carswell

The dung was recent, not an event
unusual in itself but difficult to explain
of cows grazing the other side of the fence.
Too new to be dismissed without a thought,
disturbing evidence which brought
a desired state of bovine restraint
into an irksome disgrace.
We couldn’t see a beast
ranging free, eating
and defecating on the run,
a spirited debate arose implicating
any one anonymous member
of the species, not necessarily a resident,
perhaps a passing vagrant who ate, shat and
quit the orchard before the rising sun.
Or you might suppose that was the case
when all your cattle are accounted for, grazing
innocently where they’re meant to be.
And it goes to show the first mistake
one makes in branding cattle dumb,
they’re social beasts, preferring company,
but given opportunity and a temporary gate
will make the boldest moves from subtly
suppressed but promising intelligence.
So one, or maybe two had forced the fence,
ah, temporary gate, ate some grass,
deposited dung,
meandered back to the herd
before they could be sprung.
And they will do it all again until the rest
decide the grass is greener on the other side
of the temporary gate,
ah, fence.
© I.D. Carswell